1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing and more particularly to an improved artificial bait fish for use with a fishing hook and/or an artificial fishing lure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of bait fish have been used by fisherman in the prior art. In general, bait fish may be classified as natural bait fish or artificial bait fish. Both natural bait fish and artificial bait fish have been used with a fishing hook and/or a fishing lure. When a living natural bait fish is used with a fishing lure, the fishing lure enhances the motion, action, sound and/or appearance of the natural bait fish. In the event the natural bait fish is dead, the fishing lure provides the motion, action and/or sound to the natural bait fish.
When an artificial bait fish is used with a fishing lure, the fishing lure provides the total attraction for the artificial bait fish and simulates the motion, action, sound and/or appearance of a natural bait fish. The following U.S. Patents are representative of artificial bait fish known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,333 to Zuck discloses a lure with live bait impaling means by which the bait is retained on the lure to permit casting or trolling.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,196,376 to Anderson discloses a means which may be manually gripped for easily inserting an impaling member into the bait, such as a minnow or other small fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,836 to Dodd discloses a bait harness that is adapted to facilitate connection and disconnection of the bait to a harness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,004 to Whalen discloses a live bait harness having a band embracing the body of the live bait comprising two one-piece wire mechanisms, one of which is fastened to a band and the other of which is a spreader mechanism for holding a pair of fishhooks spaced apart on opposite sides of the live bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,031 to Egles discloses a trolling rig for bait fishing having a substantially frustoconical-shaped cap to receive the head of the bait fish. A fish locking pin extends through the openings and the head of the fish for securing the fish to the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,135 to Martin discloses a fishing lure adapted to hold live, dead and artificial bait and includes a cup having an open end and a closed end for holding a first portion of a bait therein. Anchors extend from the open end of the cup into a portion of the bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,132 to Ellis et al discloses a protector for covering the front face of a xe2x80x9cplug-cut herringxe2x80x9d to maintain the front face of the plug at a predetermined angle. The protector is a cap having a planar face and a cylindrical wall adapted to extend rearwardly along the sides of the herring when the inside surface of the cap member abuts the front face of the herring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,771 to Robinson discloses a bait holder for holding minnow-type bait having a ring within which the head of the bait has a wedged fit and which is held in position by engagement of a pair of hooks at free ends of a pair of parallel arms extending aft from the ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,751 to Francklyn discloses an adjust-able bait-receiving fishing lure for use in receiving baits. The bait-receiving lure includes a top section and bottom section that cooperatively engage the upper and lower forward portions of a bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,023 to Ryder et al discloses a fishing lure for use with dead bait fish including a cover having a cavity having project-ing barbs for insertion of the head of the bait fish. The cover can be opened to receive the head of the bait fish and can be closed to anchor the fish head within the articulated cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,154 to Andreetti discloses a trolling rig intended for use with ballyhoo. The trolling rig has a conical cap that resembles the head of a ballyhoo with a leader being attached to the leading edge of the cap. A second leader is attached to a rear lower edge of the conical cap and a hook is connected thereto.
In my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,177,895 and 5,505,016 and 5,778,593, I disclosed improved fishing lures for attaching a bait to a fishing line. The improved fishing lures could be used with both natural bait fish as well as artificial bait fish.
Many fisherman used living ballyhoo bait or the like as a living natural bait fish with fishing lures. Other fisherman use frozen ballyhoo bait or the like as a dead natural bait fish with fishing lures. In some instances, some fishermen did not wish to use living or frozen ballyhoo bait due to personal preference, cost and/or availiabilty of the natural ballyhoo.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved artificial bait fish that is adaptable to a variety of uses, modes of operation and applications.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish for fishermen that prefer to use an artificial bait fish instead of a natural bait fish or the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish that accurately simulates a live bait fish during use by a fisherman.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish that provides a natural swimming movement of the improved artificial bait through the water.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish that is specifically adapted for use with my improved fishing lures set forth in the above U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,177,895 and 5,505,016 and 5,778,593.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish that is adaptable for use with various types and arrangements of fishing lures of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved artificial bait fish that is adaptable for use with various types and arrangements of conventional fishing hooks and fishing leaders of the prior art.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention with in the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment of the invention.
The present invention is defined by the appended claims with specific embodiments being shown in the attached drawings. For the purpose of summarizing the invention, the invention relates to an improved artificial bait fish for use with a fishing hook attached to a fishing line. The improved artificial bait fish comprises a longitudinally extending fish body member formed in a replica of a fish. The fish body member comprises a head portion, a body portion and a tail portion. A bore extends longitudinally through the fish body member from the head portion toward the tail portion. The bore receives the fishing line therein for positioning the fishing hook relative to the tail portion of the fish body member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the fish body member is formed from a unitary piece of material such as a flexible polymeric material. Preferably, the flexible polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of thermo plastic elastimers.
The fishing hook comprises a shank portion and a hook portion. The bore extends longitudinally through the fish body member for at least partially receiving the shank portion of the fishing hook to position the hook portion of the fishing hook relative to the tail portion of the fish body member.
In another embodiment of the invention, the fish body member includes an aperture extending through the fish body member for mounting the fish body member to the fishing line. Preferably, the aperture extends through the fish body member in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinally extending fish body member. In one embodiment of the invention, the aperture extends through the fish body member in proximity to an eye socket of the fish body member. In another embodiment of the invention, an orifice extends through the fish body member in proximity to a mouth of the fish body member. The orifice extends through the fish body member in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinally extending fish body member.
The invention is also incorporated into an improved artificial bait fish for use with a fishing lure and a fishing hook attached to a fishing line. The fishing lure comprises a restraint for restraining the movement of the fishing line relative to the fishing lure. The fishing lure further comprises a locking pin for securing improved artificial bait fish to the fishing lure. The improved artificial bait fish comprises a longitudinally extending fish body member formed in a replica of a fish. The fish body member has a head portion, a body portion and a tail portion. A bore extends longitudinally through the fish body member from the head portion toward the tail portion. An aperture extends transversely through the fish body member in proximity to the head portion of the fish body member. The aperture receives the locking pin of the fishing lure for securing the fish body member to the fishing lure. The bore receives the fishing line therein for positioning the fishing hook relative to the tail portion of the fish body member. The restraint of the fishing lure restrains the movement of the fishing line relative to the fish body member.
Preferably, the restraint comprises an adjustable restraint for adjusting the position of the hook portion of the fishing hook relative to the tail portion of the fish body member. The fishing line may include a bead leader comprising a plurality of beads interconnected by a plurality of interconnecting wires.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.